The Kwara branch of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has announced that it has collected and transferred more than N10 billion to the federal government over the past five months. This was revealed by the Area Comptroller, Mathew Ojeifo, in Ilorin, the state capital, during his first press conference since taking office in the state.
During the briefing, Comptroller Ojeifo shared that the command’s anti-smuggling unit successfully seized 21 batches of banned items. These included 507 bags of imported rice, a used vehicle, 1,055 second-hand tires, and 164 jerry cans of petrol (each 25 liters), all with a total duty-paid value of over N35,416,140,000. These recoveries and financial remittances were made between January and June 2024.
Ojeifo mentioned that from January to May 2024, the NCS Kwara command managed to recover and remit a total of N10,027,580,694.63. This amount is significantly higher than what was collected during the same period last year, showing an increase of N2,885,779,644.03, which represents a 40.41% rise.
During the event, the command donated various relief items to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. These items included cartons of Indomie noodles, tins and sachets of milk, spaghetti, sugar, toilet paper, and semolina. Ojeifo explained that these donations are intended to provide comfort and support to those less privileged and affected by various crises, acknowledging that the ministry only benefits from monthly allocations and does not generate its own revenue.
